Parliamentary Questions (Hansard, 6 December 1972)

§ Mr. Prior

Yes. The Government's views on the recommendations made by the Select Committee under the five main headings in its Report are as follows:

Restrictions imposed by the rules for Questions The Government generally accept the recommendations in this section of the Report, and 462W will commend to the House the proposal that Mr. Speaker should be empowered to authorise such changes of Table Office practice submitted to him as he considers to be consistent with the present main rules governing the acceptability of Questions as set out in paragraphs 4–6 of the Report.

Proposals to reduce difficulty in obtaining Oral Answers The Government share the Select Committee's view that some restriction on the number of Oral Questions tabled by individual Members should provide a better opportunity for more Members to obtain an Oral Answer to their Questions. It is accordingly proposed to recommend to the House a sessional experiment on the lines proposed by the Select Committee, together with the introduction of a procedure for "priority" Written Questions whereby a Member would be able to specify the particular day on which he wants an Answer to a Written Question.—[paragraph 28.] The Government do not, however, propose to recommend to the House an experimental Question Time on Friday mornings from. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Questions to the Prime Minister While the Government endorse the two proposals made in paragraphs 24 and 25 in the Report regarding Questions to the Prime Minister, they do not accept the Select Committee's recommendation that Prime Minister's Question Time on Tuesdays should be extended until 3.45 p.m. It is noted that the Report recognises—paragraph 20—that more/ time is already devoted to Questions to the Prime Minister than to any other Minister.

Miscellaneous As indicated above, the Government accept the proposal for "priority" Written Questions in paragraph 28. They also accept the Select Committee's proposal—paragraph 29—that Mr. Speaker should no longer feel bound to follow individual previous rulings in deciding whether to allow a Question to be asked after Private Notice. With regard to the Select Committee's recommendations concerning the Question Rota—paragraph 30—the Government do not consider that Questions to the large Departments of State should be subdivided. The Government have noted the Select Committee's recommendations with regard to the arrangements for Questions to the Lord President of the Council, the Attorney-General and the Minister for the Civil Service, and propose to. keep the position under review through the usual channels in the light of experience of the changes recently made in the Rota.

The Preparation of Questions by Civil Servants The Government have noted the Select Committee's views that it is not the râle of the Government machine to seek to redress the Party balance of Questions on the Order Paper. There has hitherto been no rule relating to this matter. The Government have 463W decided, in accordance with the Select Committee's conclusions, to introduce a rule that civil servants should not in future be asked to prepare Questions which have that object. The necessary resolutions will be brought before the House as soon as possible.